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By partnering with leaders at every level of the pipeline, we help elevate their practice, create spaces where everyone belongs, and drive measurable improvements in teacher performance and student outcomes. Our research backed, practice-driven approach empowers leaders to navigate complex challenges and create lasting impact within their schools and communities.
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Leaders
Schools
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By partnering with leaders at every level of the pipeline, we help elevate their practice, create spaces where everyone belongs, and drive measurable improvements in teacher performance and student outcomes. Our research backed, practice-driven approach empowers leaders to navigate complex challenges and create lasting impact within their schools and communities.
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Leaders
Schools
K
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Too often, educators step into leadership roles without enough support or training. With our approach, leaders received role specific cohort development and coaching to learn together and build skills that make real differences in schools.
Our programs help leaders:
- Enhance instructional expertise to drive student achievement.
- Inspire and motivate their staff to make progress on complex challenges.
- Ensure everyone, no matter their background, is valued and pushed to their highest potential.
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Too often, educators step into leadership roles without enough support or training. With our approach, leaders received role specific cohort development and coaching to learn together and build skills that make real differences in schools.
Our programs help leaders:
- Enhance instructional expertise to drive student achievement.
- Inspire and motivate their staff to make progress on complex challenges.
- Ensure everyone, no matter their background, is valued and pushed to their highest potential.
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We support the entire school ecosystem – from teacher leaders and assistant principals, to principals and chiefs, and executive directors and superintendents. We focus on every position in the pipeline doing their job well to ensure coherence and alignment that will lead to tangible results for teachers and students.
We provide continuous support, including:
- Professional Growth: Peer-based cohort programs that enhance skills and expand leadership impact
- System-Wide Alignment: Strategies to ensure leadership is connected across all levels for maximum impact
- Ongoing Support: Cohorts, coaching, and targeted projects to help leaders apply new strategies and sustain change
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Just like a coach guides a winning team, great school leaders guide everyone toward success. Research proves that after quality teaching, leadership makes the biggest difference in student learning. On national surveys, the number one factor in teacher satisfaction and retention is their leadership team, even more than pay. After all, people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses.
Our programs connect leaders from different schools and support them directly in their work environment. Many participants also benefit from personal coaching sessions.
Having strong leaders at every level – from classroom teachers to district chiefs – creates a powerful chain of success in schools. This leadership pipeline helps schools grow their own talent, plan for the future, and keep improving. Most importantly, when leadership is strong at all levels, students thrive.
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Exceptional schools begin with strong, visionary leaders. We equip educators with the tools to inspire teams, cultivate inclusive communities, and elevate learning.
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Proven Impact
Our leaders see measurable growth in their people and instructional leadership skills to create school environments that are psychologically safe and where staff and students thrive.
Commitment to Partnership
We value the existing strengths of our partners and listen so that we can improve on what's working and address what is not working.
Practical, Data-Driven Solutions
We translate research into actionable strategies that can be immediately applied by leaders at all levels.
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Proven Impact
Our leaders see measurable growth in their people and instructional leadership skills to create school environments that are psychologically safe and where staff and students thrive.
Commitment to Partnership
We value the existing strengths of our partners and listen so that we can improve on what's working and address what is not working.
Practical, Data-Driven Solutions
We translate research into actionable strategies that can be immediately applied by leaders at all levels.
”There are a million programs on how to do instruction well. There are not that many that focus on leaders as leaders."
“School Leader Lab encourages leaders to step outside ourselves and our comfort zone to look at the bigger lens, to get at equity, and to build strong leadership. They ask the questions and provide a space that is powerful and impactful, even in the bustle of running a school.”
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Own Your Leadership Journey
We start with self-awareness. Great leaders understand their purpose, take full responsibility for their growth, and focus on getting real results for students.
Bring Your Whole, Best Self
Clear and kind communication builds strong teams. We celebrate growth through specific praise and aren’t afraid to be vulnerable along the way.
Center Liberation in Education
We honor different backgrounds and actively work to address unfair systems. Our leaders take real steps to create fair and inclusive environments in their schools.
Better Together
We believe in teamwork. We build on each other’s strengths, work together to solve problems, and always look for ways to grow. Treating everyone with respect creates a strong community.
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Own Your Leadership Journey
We start with self-awareness. Great leaders understand their purpose, take full responsibility for their growth, and focus on getting real results for students.
Bring Your Whole, Best Self
Clear and kind communication builds strong teams. We celebrate growth through specific praise and aren’t afraid to be vulnerable along the way.
Center Liberation in Education
We honor different backgrounds and actively work to address unfair systems. Our leaders take real steps to create fair and inclusive environments in their schools.
Better Together
We believe in teamwork. We build on each other’s strengths, work together to solve problems, and always look for ways to grow. Treating everyone with respect creates a strong community.
From Vision to Impact
2017
School Leader Lab began in 2017 to fill a big gap in leadership training for DC public and charter schools. Founders Amanda Borden and Tatiana Epanchin started the DC Developing Leaders Initiative (DCDLI) with EdFuel to create a pipeline of talented leaders for local schools.
2018
In 2018, DCDLI became School Leader Lab and launched its first 18-month program with 20 principals and assistant principals.
2022
Erica Beal became our Executive Director in 2022, expanding our programs to support even more types of leaders. We grew beyond DC to include schools in Maryland and Virginia.
2023
By 2023, we launched new partnerships with DC Public Schools and Teach for America. In 2024, we expanded our work with DCPS and grew our partnership with Teach for America in the Mississippi Delta region.
2025
In 2025, we’re starting a new multi-year partnership with Richmond Public Schools.
TODAY
We’ve worked with nearly 500 school leaders across 175 schools, touching the lives of approximately 300,000 students!
Our Partners
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